Chapter141 The Race
"The countdown—"
"Three, two, one."
"Go!"
The shrill beep of the starting signal tore through the air.
Twenty race cars bolted forward at one moment!
Big John was up on his feet, a frenzy of excitement coursing through him as he
waved his selfie stick above his head and shouted, "It's on! The race is on!"
The live stream chat went wild with a barrage of virtual gifts.
“Watching Big John's livestream on my phone and the race on my computer—
anyone else doing the same?”
“Anyone got a link for the live race? I need it bad!”
“Just a heads up—no need to watch the race stream. It’s tailored for the
racing demigod, North. There’s hardly any coverage of our Luann.”
“Big John, keep it steady, don’t shake that camera”
Myron Curtis stood beside Big John, his back straight, exuding an air of
tranquility.
But only he knew the clamminess of his clenched palms.
It wasn't a fear of Luann Weaver losing.
It was the dread of her foot injury worsening.
Luann Weaver was at the tail end, driving the slowest of them all.
She appeared to be a novice, yet her driving was marked by a surprising
steadiness.
Charlie subtly eased off his speed to stay by her side.
Winning was no longer on his agenda, but he saw an opportunity for second
place.
After arriving backstage, he had climbed into conversation with these
contestants, feeling them all out, which was why he was so confident.
"Hey, little lady, don't be scared. I got your back," he said reassuringly.
Luann Weaver turned and gave him a fleeting glance, her red lips barely parting
as she asserted, "Not needed."
Charlie shrugged off Luann Weaver's words.
After all, such a sweet girl was meant to be cherished, not to engage in a
cutthroat race.
"I know it was busy backstage and you were shy, that's totally normal. But now,
it's just us."
"Heh, if you really have your heart set on second place, I can let you have it. I
guess I’ll settle for third."
There was a moment of silence from Luann.
Just as Charlie thought she was about to agree, Luann abruptly picked up speed.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa; slow down, that's dangerous!"
Charlie hurried to catch up, only to find...
"Wait, why can't I keep up?"
Gritting his teeth, he went full throttle.
But just as he was catching Luann Weaver's tailwind, she accelerated again,
weaving nimbly between the other cars, widening the gap between them.
Charlie watched the whole maneuver slack-jawed, and let out an expletive
admiringly.
"Damn, she’s got some serious skills!"
The slick lane-changing moves were something even Charlie struggled to
execute with such finesse.
The spectacle unfolding on the track caught everyone's attention.
"Isn't that Luann Weaver's car?"
"Oh my God, can she actually drive in a race?"
"She's up to third!"
"Keep it together, folks, it's just the first lap..."
Holly Weiss, hearing the commotion behind her, glanced in her rear-view mirror
and spotted Luann Weaver. Just as she was about to make way, Luann blocked
Holly's move. Left with no choice, Holly had to press on.
Soon enough, Charlie caught up, a serious look on his face. Luann's performance
had made it clear she was no last-minute stand-in, but a genuine contender.
Charlie's voice was tense and heavy, "If I don't make top three this time, I'm afraid
my old man will pull the plug on my racing career..." He had been competing for
years with little to show for it. Finally granted an opportunity, but Luann Weaver
emerged as a dark horse. A fine sheen of sweat formed on Charlie's back. He
needed to step it up.
As the commentators continuously provided analysis of the race, the duo in the
booth suddenly expressed surprise, "Just past the halfway mark of the first lap,
Luann Weaver speeds past sixteen cars into third place."
"That seems like a risky move so early in the race..."
"Indeed, I heard someone wagered fifty million on Luann to win. She must not
want to let her backers down."
"It's amazing to see Luann's profound skills on the racetrack."
The commentators' play-by-play was spot on, but the drones kept their cameras
away from Luann. To them, her surge appeared to be a fleeting moment.
Up in the main stand, Big John grumbled, "We've got eight drones and they're all
focused on the racing superstar? Are they filming the patterns on his car?"
Eddy, thoroughly enjoying the scene, nudged Myron Curtis with an elbow,
"Wanna give it a try?"
"We can easily get your wife Luann some screen time."
Myron Curtis, eyes fixed on the effortlessly smooth-driving Luann, replied calmly,
"No need."
"What? Don't you want to protect your wife?"
"She'll earn her own spotlight willingly, without my help."
With that, Myron shifted his gaze from Luann's car back to Charlie's.
"Boy, those cars are neck and neck..."
The race stretched across fifty-five laps, a grueling 310 kilometers, and was set
to wrap up in under two hours.
The commentator lavished Peter North with praises.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Peter could see it clear as day.
Only fifteen laps to go and his rivalry with Luann Weaver seemed to be reaching
its climax.
He took a deep breath and punched the accelerator.
Luann caught on to his move and was about to speed up herself when Charlie's
car roared past her with greater velocity.
Before you could see it, the sound was there.
"Little sister, playtime's over. See you at the finish line!"
Luann jerked the steering wheel hard, her tires skirting the edge of the track,
preventing Charlie from passing her by.
"Damn it!" The color drained from Charlie's face. What the heck was Luann
Weaver up to?
Mimicking Charlie's moves, Luann matched his pace, maintaining a distance that
made overtaking impossible.
This move, while common in racing, was a textbook defensive maneuver to block
a pass.
Charlie tried to suppress his rising frustration.
But the laps flew by, and with just ten to go, it was now or never to overtake
Luann—or else resign himself to missing even a third-place finish.
Charlie gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with resolve. After feigning a slower
pace to mislead Luann, he slammed on the gas.
Bang!
The sound of the collision was clear.
Charlie took his chance and casually breezed past her.
Luann's car wobbled dangerously, almost going off the track.
Meanwhile, the uproar from the crowd was deafening.
"Holy smokes! That's a foul!"
"Ref! He's cheating!"
